Rotary pump



S. B. STINE ROTARY PUMP Filed Feb. l2. 1956 Oct.. 26, '1937.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR d ma@ @Mw/1mm Oct. 26, 1937. s. B. sTlNE R-OTARY PUMP Filed Feb. 12, 195e 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 provided with a hub-like extension 22, which Patented Oct. 26, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROTARY- PUE/IP Application February l2, 1936, Serial No. 63,532

s' claims. (ci. 10s-136) My invention relates to rotary pumps and more particularly to pumps for pumping water or means for so controlling the movement of the vanes that a. lm or layer of grease can be formed and maintained on the inner walls of the pump chamber, to thereby protect the said walls against corrosion, and to serve as a primer.

Another object of my invention is to provide a pump of the type referred to of such form that pressures therein will be relieved when the pump stops.

A further object of my'invention is to provide a pump of the character referred to, having vanes and guide means of such form that there will be less binding of the vanes than in various previously-known forms of pump.

One form which my invention may take is shown in .the accompanying drawings wherein Figure l is a plan view of the pump and a driving motor therefor; Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the pump; Fig. 3 is aview taken on the' line III-III of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale; Fig. 4 is a view taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is an edge view of one of the endplates of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a'face view of the rotor; Fig. 7 is an end view thereof; Fig. 8 is a face view of one of the vanes, and Fig. 9 is an edge view thereof.

A base IG serves as a support for a driving motor II, and a pump I2, the motor operating through a pinion I3, gear wheel I4, and a hollow shaft I 5, to drive the impeller rotor of the pump.

The outer end of the shaft I5 is supported in a bearing It, and is provided with a grease cup il having a screw cap by means of which grease may be forced into the shaft. As shown more clearly in Figs. 3 and 4, the casing of the pump I2 comprises a peripheral wall I8 of generally cylindrical form, having flanges to which end plates I9 and 20 are secured by cap screws or bolts. The end plate I9 is forms a bearing for one end of the shaft I5. The plate has a hub-like extension 23- that surrounds the shaft and is provided with a packing gland 24. The packing gland has a notched flange with which a hinged retaining bar cpoperates to prevent accidental unscrewing movement of.

the member 2d. The cylindrical wall IB of the radially-extending pump has an inlet opening 2t, and a discharge opening 2l.

A rotor is welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the shaft I5, and is provided with radially-extending slots for propeller varies 3 I. The rotor and shaft are mounted eccentric to the axial center of the pump casing, so that the varies 3i have limited radial movements in said slots, and are moved outwardly by centrifugal force, and said Varies at their outer edges, move in proximity to the inner peripheral wall of the pump casing, so as to draw fluid through the pipe 25 and discharge it through vthe pipe 2l. The

end plates I9 and 20 are provided with annular ribs 32 and 33 respectively, with which stud-like extensions 3d of the vanes 3l engage. The sides of the rotor are cored out, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 6, to receive the ribs 32 and 33 and also to reduce the area of surface contact between the varies 3l and the slotted walls of the rotor. thereby appreciably reducing friction. The position of the guide rings 32 and 33 with respect to the outermost edges of the vanes 3l is such that said edges are held out of actual engagement with the inner wall of `the casing member I8, a distance of perhaps .007 inch. Thus a thinner walled casing may be employed, with less friction losses and it also reduces the rate of wear of the moving parts.

The varies 3l may be of metal, but I prefer to make them of molded non-metallic material such as phenolic condensation product, resin and fibrous compositions, etc., which give better wear and make less noise.

The axial length of each Vane 3l near its outer edge is greater than the over all axial length thereof at its inner edge including the stud portions 3B. Thus, the ends of the studs 34 are not permitted to engage the end plates I9 and 20, so as to cause tilting and binding of the blades in the rotor slots, since the ends of the blades or vanes near vtheir outer edges will rst engage the end plates. Also, the distance-from the ends of the studs 3d to the center of the blade is shorter than it would be if the studs were extended into grooves in the end plates I9 and 20. Thus, a lesser twisting force is imposed on the inner edges of the blades through engagement of the studs with the guide rings 32v and 33. The studs 36 are preferably cylindrical in cross section and suitably hardened to reduce friction through engagement with the rings and to pre-l vent excessive wear.

Radial clearance is provided at at between the guide ribs 32 and 33 and the adjacent portions of the vanes 3 I, so that when the pump comes to rest with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 4, for example, the uppermost vane can drop back slightly to leave a slight amount of clearance which will permit relieving of pressure or unloading of the pump at the upper side of the rotor, s o that the pump can be more easily set in motion when pumping operations are to be resumed. The innermost edges of the blades will,

'of course, have clearance, equal to the clearance at 36, with the adjacent portions of the rotor at 3l when the pumpjs operated. Force feed grease cups 38 and 39 are provided at the ends of the pump casing, and are utilized to force grease into the pump chamber to prime the pump and to lubricate the shaft i5. Grease from the cup I1 will be forced from the shaft i5 through openings 40 in the rotor, at the base of each vane 3l. Clearance of perhaps .025 inch is provided between the ends of the rotor and vanes, and each end plate, so that the grease can be readily forced outwardly past the rotor into the pump chamber.

A heavy oil or fiber grease is employed which will be forced into contact with the inner periphery and end walls of the pump casing, so as to form an adherent nlm thereon which will harden 'through contact with cold water or the like, and thereby serve to protect the pump casing against corrosion and facilitate priming of the pump. This is of particular advantage when pumping acid mine water and the like. The thickness uof the oil film will be approximately equal to the clearance between the various parts as above described.

The oil or grease need not necessarily be of the bre grease type, but may be of various types which have a viscosity or consistency, designated by the A. S. T. M. Penetrometer cone as penetration numbers 175 to 400.

It will be understood that when the pump reaches operating speed, the vanes will be under such centrifugal force that the circular bearing extensions 34 of the `vanes will be moved against lthe inner surfaces of the guide ribs 32 and 33, and the outer edges of the vanes will thereby be held in such spaced relation to the inner periphery of the pump casing that the grease film will be maintained that will protect the pump chamber walls against corrosion and will serve as a priming" when starting the pump Y aoeaaoa I claim as mv invention:-

1. A rotary pump comprising a rotor, a casing enclosing the rotor and having an inner peripheral Wall disposed circumferentially of the rotor, impeller vanes carried by the rotor and movable radially thereof, under centrifugal and gravitational forces, guide means inthe casing for so limiting outward movement of the vanes that their outer edges will be maintained in such spaced relation to the inner peripheral wall of the casing that a heavy oil lm can be maintained on said wall, and stop means limiting gravitational inward movement of the vanes when they are stopped in an upward position, there being such clearance between said stop means and the vanes that when the vanes are in their retracted positions there will be substantial clearance between them and said oil 111m.

2. A rotary pump comprising a rotor, a casing enclosing the rotor and having an inner peripheral Wall disposed circumferentially of the rotor, impeller vanes carried by the rotor and movable radially thereof under centrifugal and gravitational forces, means independent of the peripheral wall of the' casing for limiting outward movement of the vanes, and means limiting gravitational inward movement of the vanes when they are stopped in an upward position, at such point that substantial clearance will be present between the`l outer edges of the vanes and the inner peripheral wall pf the casing.

3. A rotary pump comprising a rotor, a cas- J ing enclosing the rotor and having an inner peripheral wall disposedv circumferentially of the4 rotor, impeller vanes carried by the rotor and movable radially thereof under centrifugal and gravitational forces, axially extending studs caryried by each vane at points adjacent to, but

spaced inwardly from, inner edge portions of the vane, and ,annular guide ribs on the end Walls of the casing, extending into the adjacent spaces between said studs and the said inner edge portions, the said studs engaging the ribs to limit movement of the vanes under centrifugal forces, and there being suicient clearance between the circumferential faces of the ribs and said inner edge portions of the vanes to permit the vanes to move inwardly under the action of gravity, when in an upward position, such distance that there is substantial clearance between the outer edges of the vanes and the inner peripheral wall of the casing.

' SAMUEL BLAINE STINE. 

